STUDENTS from Bohunt School in Liphook and The Petersfield School (TPS) teamed up with two other schools in the Bohunt Education Trust (BET) to set sail on a seven-day voyage.

Sailing on a traditional 22-metre wooden ketch named Faramir, the voyage began at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, Ipswich, navigating the River Stour, then visiting Brightlingsea and Chatham Marina.

This voyage was the first of its kind for BET, giving students with first-hand experience of what it takes to sail and crew a yacht.

Students were able to learn helming, sail handling, rope work, passage planning and the safety that is required on board.

All students took an active role as crew ensuring that duties above and below deck were completed.

Tasks included keeping a look out, helming, and hauling on ropes to raise the sails, in addition to galley duties to keep the crew fed and watered.

The students, joined by two other schools across the trust – Bohunt Wokingham and Bohunt Worthing – worked in three teams to sail the yacht as part of their extensive outdoor education programme.

Students aged between 11 and 15 years old took on roles such as watch leaders and anchor watch.

Passage planning was one of the more difficult tasks to complete as a team, as it required a thorough understanding of the tidal patterns in the region, topography, weather conditions and the wind direction to enable a viable navigational route.

The students grasped that navigational charts were like a mathematical problem and, using the nautical almanac, yacht’s navigation equipment and weather information system, the students plotted a suitable passage plan.

All students had the opportunity to work towards the Royal Yachting Association’s Start Yachting qualification, with five students receiving their Royal Yachting Association Competent Crew certificates.

Bohunt Education Trust chief executive and Bohunt School headteacher Neil Strowger said: “We have a culture of game-changers at Bohunt: we constantly strive to push the boundaries of achievement in the widest sense of the word and work hard to offer students the chance to expand their experiences to include organisations outside for classroom.

“For all students taking part in the Faramir voyage, it is a fantastic achievement in which to have been involved.”